Weeks before he was indicted, John Edwards reportedly asked for millions of dollars from Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, a reclusive banking heiress whose financial support of the former Democratic candidate is the subject of the criminal case against him.

A source with knowledge of the request confirms to ABC News that the request was in the "millions of dollars" but declined to say why Edwards asked for the money. A lawyer for Mellon, who is expected to a key witness at Edwards' criminal trial, declined to comment, as did a member of Edwards' legal team.

The disclosure comes just weeks after Edwards was indicted on charges he broke campaign finance laws in attempting to cover up an affair with Rielle Hunter, a former staffer to his 2008 presidential bid who later gave birth to his child...